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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26016133">four little birds</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovelycrinkle/pseuds/lovelycrinkle'>lovelycrinkle</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aerith Gainsborough Lives, Domesticity, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Joinery, Post-Canon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 05:35:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>664</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26016133</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovelycrinkle/pseuds/lovelycrinkle</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Home.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aerith Gainsborough/Tifa Lockhart</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>43</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>four little birds</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Oh? What's this?"</p><p>Aerith's leaning closer to take a better look, chin comfortably placed on Tifa's shoulder as she's inspecting Tifa's newest work.</p><p>"Pigeonry. For the garden behind the bar."</p><p>"Oh!" Aerith looks delighted. "That sounds like an amazing idea, Tifa." She's reaching out a hand, like she intends to touch, and Tifa gently elbows her in the stomach.</p><p>"Don't. I haven't gotten around to sanding it down yet, and you <i>do</i> remember what happened last time, right?"</p><p>Aerith pouts, but withdraws her hand, confirming that she does, indeed, remember last time. "Booh. I just wanted to pat it, for good luck." Her smile is quick to return, though, hand smoothing down the back of Tifa's head. "Guess I gotta settle for the next best thing then!"</p><p>Tifa chuckles, righting the safety goggles Aerith accidently offset. "Always glad to know you just <i>settled</i> for me, the <i>next best thing</i>."</p><p>"Well," Aerith hums, looking thoughtful, a strand of Tifa's hair twirled around her finger. "Cloud <i>did</i> look unexpectedly gorgeous in that dress. If he had been born a girl..."</p><p>They share a look, both bursting into giggles.</p><p>"Such a pretty face, wasted on a gloomy guy like him. Well, he does pout like a girl. Worse like one, honestly," Tifa says. </p><p>"Oh god, it's true, it's true! I had to run after him when he finally came out of the club. In heels and that dress! Do you know how hard it was to <i>walk</i> in that thing, nevermind run?"</p><p>Tifa laughs, shakes her head. "He's unbelievable, always the perfect anti-gentleman."</p><p>"At least he's fun to tease."</p><p>"That he is." Tifa grins, pushes her goggles up to her head. Looks at Aerith, the pretty picture she makes in simple jeans and one of Tifa's old tanktops, hair up in a lazy bun. She was probably needling Cloud to brawl with her again before she came here.</p><p>It's good to have them back, all in one place, even if they end up not staying for long. Family is family, and a full house is always wonderful.</p><p>"Why now, though?" Aerith asks.</p><p>"Mhm?</p><p>"The birdhouse. We've had the place for a while now, why only now the sudden interest in making a birdhouse?" </p><p>Tifa shrugs, fiddles with a stripe of sandpaper. "No special reason?"</p><p>Leaning forward, strands falling into her eyes, Aerith scrutinizes Tifa doubtfully. "That a question or an answer, Lockhart?"</p><p>"I mean, ah—" Flails, loses her grip on the sandpaper. Red on her cheeks as Aerith grins triumphantly. "I mean, I just. Isn't it a nice thought? I know that birds, they're free. They don't like staying in one place for too long, they're too restless for that. But... if they have a place to stay, to come back to... a place to call home... even if it's just for a day, or a week..." She shrugs. Averts her eyes. "Wouldn't that be nice?"</p><p>Four little birds, forever on the road. Traveling the world and exploring abandoned cities, scouting out new places and helping wherever they can.</p><p>The lost one, the immortal one, the cranky one.</p><p>The one who grew up stuck in a little gold cage, able to taste freedom at last. </p><p>Yet they always come back, come home. (To <i> her.</i>)</p><p>Aerith's eyes are soft, understanding. <i>Message received,</i> claps her hand over Tifa's sawdusty one and intertwines their fingers. </p><p>"Let me paint it?" Quiet inquiry, almost shy; like Tifa would ever say no. </p><p>"Of course."</p><p>Building a home takes more than one pair of hands, after all. </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Noise from above, sounds like someone is... struggling? Then a thump and shouting, followed by muffled laughter—two others, not the same as the one shouting. Eventually, a screech of, <i>"Aerith!"</i></p><p>Tifa eyes Aerith suspiciously. Aerith just giggles under the look, not a care in the world.</p><p>"Did I forget to mention that I tied Cloud up and left him in heels and strictly forbade Vincent and Cid to help him?" </p><p>Oh, gods. Her poor hardwood floor.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I really do believe that while Aerith seems so scared of the wide open sky, that she would eventually come to love traveling. Being able to explore the world without someone constantly shadowing her, having adventures with her friends—she's a free-spirit at heart!</p><p>Meanwhile I see Tifa as someome who easily falls into routine, who wants to settle down, carve out a place in the world she can call her own. A house and a family she can come home to at the end of the day—and, well, while her loved ones might not always be around, she sure as hell is gonna create the warmest place for them to come home to. </p><p> </p><p>(the infamous 'last time' was the first and only time aerith talked tifa into having some <i>fun</i> in the workshop. tifa had to pull splinters out of aerith's ass all night. it's safe to say tifa never let aerith forgot about that)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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